Twitter Beef: T-Mobile vs. Sprint

You hear it time and time again - do not take your problems to Twitter. Chances are you've thought about this while backspacing your latest complaint, but it's surely something that should be taken seriously in the business world the same.

Perhaps big-time CEOs should take this advice, too?

Sprint and T-Mobile CEOs, Marcelo Claure and Lohn Legere, engaged in a Twitter fight on Thursday after @JohnLegere tweeted his honest, negative opinion of Sprint's latest campaign, #Allin. 

Imagine how Claure's PR people acted after this tweet came in late Thursday night? Nightmare.

An hour later, Claure responded from his own personal account, though the initial tweet did not tag @Marceloclaure, but the @Sprint company account. He tweeted a lengthy response, using four posts. 

All Lohn Legere tweeted back was "u mad bro?" Well, obviously these two do not get along, but it's always interesting to see high-level executives, or the highest in this case, displaying it so publicly! In the world of media, it's always something to talk about when millionaires have their Gossip Girl moments.

What are the PR implications here? We never want to see our clients on social media in a negative light. If it can be avoided, then make sure to avoid it. But Twitter emphasizes the freedom of speech, so there are moments of controversy. Implement a social media campaign to ensure that the client understands what is beneficial to post on social media.

Top Five Twitter Etiquette Tips

Twitter has quickly become the most relevant social media websites, and is especially important in the public relations world. Twitter can be used for a wide variety of things, such as furthering one’s personal brands, connecting with other professionals and organizations and staying connected with what’s going on both in and out of the United States. In the fast-paced world of 140 characters, here a few tips to keep in mind when tweeting:

• Don’t overuse hashtags: While hashtags are both fun and can be helpful with connecting with others during events and conferences, use too many and the tweet begins to look a little messy. A good rule of thumb is to stick to three or less.

• No automatic DMs: To put it quite simply, they aren’t needed. The “thank you for the follow” and “feeling excited to connect with you” message isn’t personal. If looking to say something right away to a new follower, a personal tweet to the user tends to work much better!

• Try not to only tweet headlines and links: While it may be easier to just hit that “Retweet” button, if you do have the character room and want to add value to your tweet, go ahead and pull out an interesting line or two, or even a quote. While this may not apply to all types of articles you may see on Twitter, try and keep this one in the back of your mind next time you want to tweet out that really interesting article you just read.

• Don’t forget to add the MT: While just recently learning of this myself, the “MT” stands for “modified tweet.” As public relations students, we all know the thought and care that can go into crafting the perfect tweet. If you do have to slightly change another’s words in order to fit into the 140 requirement, don’t forget to MT to make others aware that wording was changed!

• If you are forced to write “spoiler alert,” don’t tweet it: Writing “spoiler alert” in your tweet pretty much ensures that something will be spoiled for somebody. In the age of Netflix and HBO GO, we all don’t watch our television programs at the same time when they air and if any of you are like me out there, Twitter has ruined many an episode of my favorite television programs. (particularly Game of Thrones last spring.) 

Are there any other tips that came to your mind while reading this? Is there anything that personally bothers you on Twitter? Share below!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Rachel Draghi.

Bonjour! A Little PR from Paris

At this very moment I'm across the pond being captivated by the beauty of France. In addition to visits to cultural landmarks, tours of the most beautiful landscapes, and dining at divine restaurants, I've also been to visit several different companies. We've been to see the French Fashion Institute, Hermes, and Peugeot and are set to see many more.

On these visits I've noticed some serious cultural differences in conducting business that any aspiring public relations professional will want to know if they're considering doing business abroad.

Dress

In the United States, "business casual" is generally the norm and "business formal" is saved for fancier occasions.  In France, "business formal" is the norm and the French take great pride in how they dress. Americans always need to look their most professional and very best when doing business in France.

Time

The French look at Americans as "always in a hurry". If you're going to do business with the French, you need to be prepared to slow down and go at their pace or you'll risk looking too aggressive.

Language

In France, it's common to use 'terms of endearment' in business conversation.  You'll hear "mon cheri" used and at first thought it may seem sexist or politically incorrect. The French don't view it that way and it's best to just accept the cultural adjustment.

It's your job as an American business-person and PR professional to be prepared for the cultural differences you'll face when doing business abroad. France is just a drop in the bucket of cultural clash.

What are some other cultural differences you can think of? We want to know!